The best part was, I only spent $100. Though I did not make the ham. My step mom made a lovely ham and her sister made her family's recipe for baked mac and cheese.
My dad said next time I had to make either appetizers or the meal because he just didn't have enough room for everything.
My stepmom mentioned my pork with apples again, suggesting we replace the ham with that.
The final meal went something like this:
My stepmom had some cookies out. She made cucumber sandwiches. We started with some basic cold food. Garden vegetable wheat thin select crackers, roasted red pepper hummus from Aldi, harissa imported from Tunisia, kalamata olives (also from Aldi), and home canned pickle spears with dill from my garden.
Then I made my popcorn roasted cauliflower, cooked my already assembled stuffed dates, and heated some Archer Farms frozen appetizers (crab rangoon and puff pastry with Brie and cranberry). Everything was a hit.
While everyone chatted and nibbled, my husband and I gutted the baked potatoes and mixed the filling for twice baking.
The filling ended up being:
- broccoli florets chopped
- ranch dressing
- four color peppercorns
- potato
- Asiago cheese
My step mom started the ham.
About an hour before the meal, we added some of the potatoes to the oven with the mac and cheese.
About a half hour before the meal, I tossed the salad (arugula, spinach and spring mix) with my homemade berry vinaigrette and Jonagold apple slices.
I started the green beans almandine. French cut green beans. I toasted the almond slices in butter. I put the green beans in a casserole dish and tossed them with extra virgin olive oil. Put the almonds on top.
Served everything with my cornbread and two quarts of home-canned applesauce.
Hurray! Did everyone take home leftovers? Or will you be eating Christmas for weeks?
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